Moon Shimmers(48)

Roman, the Prince of the Vampire Nation, was definitely fair, I had to agree on that, but I’d pick living out here in the Barrows ten times over living in his court. The Fae knew how to hurt and torture, yes, but they didn’t have fangs and they didn’t drain blood. Generally.

As we entered the room, I caught my breath. It never failed to amaze me. The actual throne room was larger than our house, with ceilings that rose a good fifty feet. Balconies overlooked the side, and archers stood ready to take down any assassins who might make an attempt on the queen. Idly, I wondered who checked to make sure the archers themselves weren’t of a nature to play drop-the-monarch.

The throne itself was handcrafted of yew, large and ornate with brass and silver fittings, and velvet cushions of the deepest plum. The throne sat up on a dais, ten steps leading up to it, against the back wall. Doors on either side were heavily guarded. The path to the throne was roped off on both sides with velvet ropes that matched the cushions, scalloping between silver-plated posts. There was an entry and exit passage from both doors to the throne itself, again roped off and guarded.

I stared at the throne, a lump rising in my stomach. The presence of the guards, the formality of the room, felt overwhelming and I pressed my lips together, assessing the rest of the room. Most of it was open, but toward the double doors through which we had come, long wooden benches lined both sides of the walkway, giving a place for people to sit while watching the proceedings of the court.

Toward the front of the benches, Aeval and Titania were waiting, along with Myrddin—the Merlin. Their various guards were keeping a close eye in every direction. We hurried up to them, Aeval motioning for the guards to let us through without searching us.

“Camille, let us retire into what will be your chambers to discuss the next step.”

One thing I’d say for her—Aeval didn’t waste time in small talk. We followed her out the right-hand door in back of the throne. We entered a small hallway that led to another set of double doors about twenty yards away. Once there, the guards opened the doors and checked the room, then waved us in. They shut the doors behind them and I presumed they would wait outside. Come to think of it, guards seemed to spend a lot of their time waiting.

I glanced around the chamber. A large, ornate desk sat toward the back. Bookshelves lined the walls, and two sofas—both the same leather of the chair behind the desk—sat kitty corner, facing the desk in an L-shape. The shelves were filled with books. This made me unaccountably happy. I loved books, and I loved to read.

“Working light.” Aeval’s command rang out, and the light quickly adjusted, growing bright enough for us to read by with no problem. I filed away the command for future reference.

Aeval motioned for us to all sit on the sofas. There wasn’t quite room enough, but there were several other chairs scattered around the massive office and so Morio and Smoky dragged them over. I sat on one sofa, with Delilah and Menolly. Aeval and Titania sat on the other, with Myrddin behind them. Vanzir hesitantly took the spot beside Aeval as she patted the sofa next to her and motioned for him to join her.

“You found the last spirit seal?” It wasn’t so much of a question as a statement.

I nodded. “Yes, we did. It’s safe for now.”

“Then the time has come for you to journey to Otherworld and look for the Keraastar Diamond. Now that all of the seals have been located, we can’t possibly rest until you have established your control over them.” Titania paused, then said, “Myrddin, why don’t you tell them your news.”

Myrddin looked decidedly unhappy. I still hadn’t decided how much I liked the Merlin—he was aloof and somewhat rude, but he was devoted to helping both the Fae Queens and us.

“I received a communication from Trytian this morning. He’s been keeping in touch with me, given the nature of the war.” He paused.

Color me surprised. I had no clue Myrddin had connected with Trytian.

Trytian was a daemon—a subset of demons and devils. His father was leading a rout against Shadow Wing down in the Sub-Realms and he had gone to join the war. While I didn’t trust the daemon as far as I could throw him, the fact was, in this war, we were on the same side.

“What did he say?” I almost didn’t want to know, given how many twists and turns the war had taken over the years.

“He told me that Shadow Wing is backed into a castle on the far end of some mountain range. He’s holed up tighter than a rabbit in a warren. The daemons have taken heavy losses, but things are unraveling now for Shadow Wing and he’s losing members of his army. But Trytian also said to be wary. Shadow Wing has managed to enlist an ally none of us ever saw coming. One who can quite possibly manage to infiltrate Earthside even though he was long ago cast out into the Sub-Realms.”